I thought that you all would appreciate a longer chapter. Enjoy.

Fin walked in, gently tapping his partner on the shoulder. Munch rose from the chair, only allowing them to walk as far away as the door.

"He wasn't at the apartment."

Munch didn't reply; he just glanced back at Danielle.

"Captain has a couple squads on the lookout for him. He said not to come back to the office, and requests that you take some personal time."

Munch nodded in reply, unable to take his eyes off his niece. The fact that the first reason the captain was suggesting to take time off because of his niece being beaten didn't set well with him.

"Why don't you take a break? Go home and get some fresh clothes. I can sit with her," Fin suggested.

"I appreciate it, but I'll be alright."

"Look John, I know it's been a long night. I'll take care of her."

Fin had to take another moment to stare down his partner, but Munch reluctantly agreed. Danielle had been asleep for an hour, and wasn't waking up anytime soon. He gathered up his things as Fin took his place in the chair. With one more glance at his niece, he walked out of the room.

Danielle slept for another two hours until the nurse woke her to take pain medication. She was initially surprised to see Fin in the chair instead of her uncle, but soon became talkative with the detective.

"Mom died a couple years ago. She had cancer, and the treatment drained our bank account. Dad had to work two jobs, and once I turned sixteen, he made me go out a look for one. Uncle John sent money, and for about a year, I managed to get it past my dad. Once he found out, I had to give him any money that came. I could never get in contact with my uncle, and the last time I saw him was at my mother's funeral."

Danielle paused, picking at a string on the thin bed linen.

"Once mom died, dad got really hostile. He'd come home from a double shift, always mad about something. I was always in the way when he went on his rages."

Fin sat back in the chair, face expressionless.

"Why didn't you report your father?"

Danielle smirked, "He liked to wave his gun in my face, and said that if I contacted my uncle, well, I'm sure you can guess. Dad liked to use scare tactics, and they worked. I was more than willing to take a punch in the mouth than have a bullet in my skull."

There was silence, as Danielle tried to readjust herself. Fin helped her prop up the pillows.

"Doesn't he see this all the time?"

Fin cocked his head. "What do you mean?"

"My parents never really talked about what my uncle did for a living, but his name was in the papers a couple of times, in articles about rapes and child abuse."

"It's a lot different when something l like this happens to a family member. Detectives don't sleep at night for that reason: they see all these things that human beings are capable of, and it comes full circle. I'll tell you one thing: your uncle and I have seen everything, and not once has he even winced. I have never seen your uncle this upset."

Danielle became slightly interested in her hospital bracelet, apparently having dropped the subject. Fin picked up on it.

"Do you need anything?"

She shook her head, sighing, leaning her head back on the pillows. Fin studied her face for a moment, surprised at how calm she was.

"I'm sorry you had to go through all that."

Danielle smirked.

"If it gets my out of that house, then it was worth it."

Munch came through the door to find his niece and partner in conversation. Danielle laughed at something that Fin had just said. Seeing a smile on her face made him crack his own. The two looked his way after a moment.

"I brought you some clean clothes," Munch said, placing a duffle bag on the end of the bed.

"You went to the apartment?" Danielle asked, trying to sit up, a string of fear in her voice and terror in her brown eyes.

Munch put up his hand, looking at her from over his dark glasses, immediately stopping her from moving any further.

"Yeah," he paused, seeing the hint of panic in his niece's eyes. "Your father wasn't there."

Danielle sighed in relief, wincing.

"We're gonna get him. He's not going to hurt you anymore," Fin said, rising from the chair.

"I talked to your doctor. He's keeping you hear for another night, then you can go home," Munch paused, glancing at his partner. "With your father loose, you're not going back to that apartment. Mine's not safe either, especially if he was blocking you from communicating with me. One of the detectives, Olivia Benson, said you can stay with her until all this is resolved."

"I'm just meeting all your friends, huh?"

Munch lightly smiled, nodding.

Fin soon left, promising he would come back with real food instead of the "shit on a shingle" that the hospital was serving. After another dose of pain killers, Danielle was able to sit up and talk to her uncle without much trouble.

"I'm sorry about all this…" Danielle began to say, before her uncle silence her with that look again.

"Don't ever apologize for what someone else did to you. What your father did was not your fault."

Danielle nodded, "I know." She quickly changed the subject. "I remember when I was six, and had the chicken pox. Mom was working a double shift at the hospital, and dad was out of town. You stayed up with me during the night because the itching was so bad, and read every single Dr. Seuss book that I had." Danielle paused, smiling softly. "'I'm sorry to say so but, sadly, it's true that Bang-ups and Hang-ups can happen to you.' That man knew what he was talking about."

"'Wherever you fly, you'll be best of the best. Wherever you go, you will top all the rest. It's 98 and ¾ percent guaranteed.' There's still a chance for you," Munch said, winking.

Danielle tried not to laugh, as it brought a sharp pain in her chest. Munch never realized how much he had missed his niece over the years. He was always knee keep in investigations and office work, that she was just a thought in the back of her mind. But, when a girl around her age came into the station, abused or assaulted, Danielle popped in his mind. She was a smart kid, an advanced student, name always in the paper for being on honor roll. Munch always clipped it out and slipped it inside his desk, after making sure the other detectives knew about it.

Fin came in later that night, with two bags of take out in hand.

"I've been living off Jell-O for the past twenty-four hours. Solid food has never tasted so good," Danielle said, twirling lo-mein noodles around a plastic fork. "Thank you, Fin."

The detective smiled, nodding. "This is the first time I've seen your uncle even look at takeout food."

Munch stopped mid-scoop, before placing orange chicken in his mouth. Danielle laughed softly.

"Olivia and Elliot want to get your statement tomorrow. You'll be safe at the station house," Fin said, before eating a mouthful of beef. "After that, Liv is gonna take you back to her place, and keep bringing you back to the station. Until your father is apprehended, that's how it has to be."

"Does everyone get this special treatment?" Danielle asked, looking from Fin to her uncle.

"You're my family, and I can do whatever is necessary to make sure you don't get hurt anymore. It's coincidental that I work at a police station," Munch replied, tossing the empty take out container.

The three finished their meal, and shortly after, Fin left after telling his partner that he'd pick them up the next morning. Munch was required to leave the room as the nurse helped Danielle into the bath, giving him time to call and arrange for legal guardian papers to be written up.